Former actor Zaira Wasim has criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over an incident at a government event in Patna, calling his actions “infuriating” and demanding an apology.

The reaction came after a video from a certificate distribution ceremony on December 16 began circulating widely on social media. 

The footage shows the 74-year-old politician handing a certificate to an AYUSH doctor and then gesturing for her to remove her niqab(veil). When the woman did not respond immediately, the chief minister reached out and pulled it down himself, exposing her mouth and chin in front of those present.

The clip quickly drew national attention and sparked sharp criticism, with many raising concerns about personal boundaries, consent and respect for religious practices. 

Zaira Wasim, who left the film industry in 2019 citing her faith, was among the first public figures to respond.

In a strongly worded post on X, the 25-year-old said a woman’s dignity should never be treated lightly, especially on a public stage.

She described the act as a violation of boundaries and said power did not give anyone the right to interfere with a woman’s modesty. Wasim said Nitish Kumar owed the doctor an unconditional apology.

Besides this, former cricketer Irfan Pathan also voiced in favour of women; however, he didn’t mention the incident or the politician in his tweet.

Taking to X cricketr turned commentator said, “Mutual respect for faith is the least a civil society can expect.”

Political opponents also reacted strongly. Leaders from the Congress party described the incident as “shameless”, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal questioned the chief minister’s conduct.

As of Tuesday, there has been no public statement issued from Nitish Kumar or his office. The incident continues to be discussed widely on social media.